Intelligence Squared Debates in New York City

Intelligence Squared Debates TV Show is Shot in New York City and Tickets To The Show Are Available To The Public

For those bemoaning the lack of intelligent and fact-based discussion on complex issues in the media, there is an exciting debate series called Intelligence Squared, which is being filmed in New York City and aired on Bloomberg Television. Sponsored by Rosenkranz Foundation and based on a similar debate program held in London, Intelligence Squared Debates presents a statement (a "motion") and then selects distinguished panelists to argue both for and against the issue, which is usually framed as a straightforward statement such as "Afghanistan is a Lost Cause," "Big Government is Stifling the American Spirit," or "Organic Food is Marketing Hype".

These Oxford-style debates are held in front of a live audience at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, where the event is produced and filmed once or twice a month during the school year. Rather than having one person determine which side has won the debate, the audience is polled to see which side of the issue they fall on by the conclusion of the arguments. Each debate has a moderator, and typically there are two or three panelists on each side of the debate. Each debater gets to make an opening statement, the debate participants then engage with each other and with the audience, and it concludes with each debater making a brief closing argument. Participants include many experts in their field, and past Intelligence Squared debates have included such well-known politicians and personalities as Wesley Clark, Gray Davis, Mort Zuckerman, Eliot Spitzer, and Fareed Zakaria.

Because New York City is a notably left-leaning city, tickets to the debate cost $40 each, and because the event is held at a university and therefore likely to hold a disproportionate number of students (many of whom are likely being given free or discounted tickets through their school), one could argue that the ultimate winners of Intelligence Squared Debates will skew to a liberal point-of-view most often held by the city's wealthier liberal residents and traditionally left-of-center students. However, the audience members are polled on their positions both before and after the debate, with the side that has actually swayed the most voters to their point-of-view being declared the ultimate winner. Furthermore, many of the debate subjects defy easy left/right interpretation, breaking through partisan lines with such intriguing topics as "The Cyber War Threat Has Been Grossly Exaggerated", "Good Riddance to Mainstream Media", and "The Art Market is Less Ethical Than the Stock Market".

The debates last approximately an hour and a half, and tickets are sold to the public for $40 a piece. This price includes a pre-event reception held at the venue. For those that can't attend the Intelligence Squared Debates in person, they can be heard on National Public Radio or seen on the Bloomberg Television channel. The debates are usually aired on Bloomberg TV several times during the week following when the debate was actually held.

Intelligence Squared TV Show Taping Schedule:

The Intelligence Squared Debates TV show generally tapes once or twice a month on a weekday evening at 6:45PM. This TV show tapes at New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in downtown New York City.

Buy Tickets to Intelligence Squared:

To get tickets for the Intelligence Squared TV show, visit the show online here. Tickets are $40 and include admission to a pre-show reception. If you plan to attend multiple Intelligence Squared debates, you can buy multi-ticket packages.